Tag: "Mike North"

MMTC Calls for ‘Long-Term, Humane Decommissioning’ of the AM Band as Part of ‘12 Imperatives.’ The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council is presenting what it calls 12 imperatives to the Trump Administration that “address the persistent challenges in closing the digital divide, and advancing multicultural commercial ownership opportunities to create voices and participation in the telecommunications industry.” Of those 12 imperatives, #12 is “Create a ‘Glide Path’ for the Short-Term Survival and Long-Term Humane Decommissioning of the AM Band in a Manner that Preserves Minority Ownership.” It states, in part, that the FCC’s future policies “should facilitate the preservation of AM radio’s program services when the AM band disappears. It should seek to ensure that AM broadcasters receive fair compensation for the loss of their assets as well as assistance in transitioning their programming to other platforms. For that purpose, MMTC has formed the MMTC AM Glide Path Taskforce.” It goes on to suggest “we encourage the Commission to work with the MMTC AM Glide Path Taskforce to identify potential uses of the low-band spectrum now assigned to AM, such as maritime mobile, aeronautical fixed, and aeronautical mobile, as well as exploring new potential classes of users such as drones, driverless vehicles, rural irrigation, and the Internet of Things (IOT). Ultimately, these new users can be cobbled together into a market for AM spectrum that can enable AM owners to find buyers and leapfrog into newer platforms that can support their programming.” Read the entire “12 imperatives” from the MMTC here.

Mike North Launches Daily Podcast. Chicago-based radio personality Mike North is debuting a new, daily podcast titled, “Sticks and Stones,” that is being produced from North’s home studio. The longtime Windy City talent was most recently heard on the radio on the FOX Sports Radio network co-hosting “FOX Sports Daybreak” with Andy Furman. “Sticks and Stones” will be a 30-minute show available daily around 9:30 am and will consist of North riffing on sports, pop culture, news or whatever’s on North’s mind. Occasional special guests will join North. Chicagoland Radio and Media reports this new podcast is a collaboration between North and Gow Media’s PodcastArena.com. Read the Chicagoland Radio and Media piece here.

The Trump Transition/Secretary of State Candidates, Deadly Oakland Warehouse Fire, Trump’s Boeing-Air Force One Comments, Pentagon Waste Study Scandal, ‘Fake News’/Comet Ping Pong Incident, Pearl Harbor Anniversary, Merkel: Ban Full-Face Veils, Dakota Access Pipeline Case, Grammy Nominations, and NFL Action Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (12/6). The Trump Administration transition and the potential Secretary of State nominee, the aftermath of the deadly Oakland warehouse fire; President-Elect Donald Trump’s statement about cancelling Boeing’s Air Force One contract due to expense; the controversy over the Pentagon’s burying of a study revealing some $125 billion in waste; chatter about “fake news” and the related gun incident at the Comet Ping Pong eatery in DC; today’s 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor; German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s proposal to ban full-face veils in public; the re-routing of the Dakota Access Pipeline by the Army Corps of Engineers; the list of 2017 Grammy nominees; and NFL action were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Media Matters Names New President; Broadens Scope of ‘Bad Actors.’ In a report published by Politico’s Hadas Gold, anti-conservative media “police” Media Matters for America is naming current EVP Angelo Carusone to the president post, taking over for Bradley Beychok, who will remain with the organization as a senior advisor. Gold’s story quotes Carusone saying, “There was a period of time which we were, rightfully so, described as the ‘Fox antagonists.’ Now, our mission is to be principally focused on the value of journalism…It used to be simple, Fox News was the gate keeper, but now there are so many potential bad actors. Now there are places like Facebook who aren’t bad actors but can be enablers of misinformation.” Read the whole Politico piece here.

NAB Creates Podcast Addressing Photo Copyright Laws. A new podcast from National Association of Broadcasters is available that is designed to help content creators avoid legal troubles when using photos. The podcast is titled, “Navigating Photo Copyright Law: Protecting Your Station from a Lawsuit,” and is available here. NAB says, “The podcast explores strategies on how stations can avoid alleged and real copyright infringement claims. A recent series of copyright infringement lawsuits filed against radio and television stations highlight the importance of broadcasters fully understanding how to legally use photographs and other content on social media and websites. Securing proper permission ahead of time is necessary to protect against potential legal ramifications. Podcast presenters include Bart Stringham, senior vice president and corporate counsel, NAB, and David Ervin, partner, Crowell and Moring.”

Odds & Sods. In the category of year-end programming, Westwood One News is producing two long-form “Year in Review” programs: “The Year in Review – The Big Stories,” anchored by “First Light” host Evan Haning, and “The Year in Review – People, Sports and Entertainment,” anchored by “America in the Morning” host John Trout. Also, the news organization is offering a series of “Year in Review” reports – a total of 20 vignettes – for unlimited use by affiliates from December 22, 2016 through January 2, 2017…..WIBW, Topeka farm director Kelly Lenz was recently inducted into the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. The Alpha Media news/talk station notes that “Lenz has been a leader and innovator in the farm broadcast industry for the past 38 years. In 1978, he was hired as assistant farm director for WIBW, and rose to farm director one year later. In 1983, he started the “Ag Issues” program on WIBW, one of the first agricultural talk shows in the nation. Lenz also began an annual agricultural conference for farmers and ranchers. The conference is now held in four different locations and has more than 725 producers in attendance.”

BFoA’s Holiday Giving Campaign Underway. The 2016 Holiday Giving Campaign has been launched by The Broadcasters Foundation of America – the charity that provides aid to broadcasters in acute need. As part of the campaign, an appeal letter was mailed to thousands of broadcasters across the country, encouraging individual donations to the Broadcasters Foundation’s Guardian Fund. BFoA chairman Dan Mason states, “Our grant recipients had robust careers as producers, managers, on-air talent, engineers, account executives, and more. Now, through disease, accident, or advanced age, they and their families are in need of our assistance. It is up to us to come together and help them through the Broadcasters Foundation of America.” Over the past year, the Broadcasters Foundation has distributed more than $800,000 in aid, including nearly $100,000 in one-time emergency grants to broadcasters who were affected by the Louisiana floods. In addition to individual donations to the Guardian Fund, corporate contributions are accepted through the Broadcasters Foundation’s Angel Initiative and bequests can be made through its Legacy Society. For more information, please visit broadcastersfoundation.org, email info@thebfoa.org, or call 212-373-8250.

Share this:

KKOB-AM, Albuquerque Turns on FM Translator. Usually, the acquisition and implementation of an FM translator for an AM news/talk station is not such a big deal. But this one raised some eyebrows because of the price Cumulus Media is paying for K233CG, Sandia, New Mexico at 94.5 FM and its coverage of the market. As has been widely reported in the industry trades, Cumulus is paying owner Martha Whitman $425,000 for the signal. Because she recently closed on her purchase of the translator from EMF for $61,413, by law she has to wait a year before selling it. So, Cumulus is renting it for $1,000 per month and will take ownership in a year with those payments applying against the purchase price. Regarding the signal, as Cumulus notes, “The translator on top of Sandia Mountain is equivalent to a 50,000 watt FM and reaches all of the Albuquerque metro area with its powerful signal. The FM simulcast will broadcast all the same award-winning talk programming that has made 770 KKOB the #1/#2 station consistently for more than 20 years on the new 94.5 FM position, as well as on its 94-year-old home at 770 AM.” Program director Pat Frisch adds, “This is an exciting time for all of us here at KKOB, and one that has been years in the making. We look forward to introducing our great talk radio programming to thousands of new listeners that live on the FM dial.”

Clay Travis Takes Over Mornings on FOX Sports Radio with ‘Outkick the Coverage’ Show. Nashville-based sports media star Clay Travis’ new sports talk radio program “Outkick the Coverage with Clay Travis” is the new Eastern Time morning drive program (6:00 am to 9:00 am) from FOX Sports Radio, effective Tuesday,September 6. The program bumps “Daybreak with Andy Furman and Mike North” to Sunday mornings. Travis is the founder of OutKickTheCoverage.com from which he’s been producing his video webcast, “OutKick the Show.” He will continue to host the webcast streamed live on Facebook, Periscope, YouTube, FOX Sports GO and FOXSports.com. Premiere Networks president Julie Talbott states, “FOX Sports Radio’s Don Martin, Scott Shapiro and I couldn’t be more excited to add Clay Travis to this already strong lineup. Clay is bold, opinionated and entertaining, and we’re confident ‘Outkick the Coverage’ will be home to some of the most thought provoking sports talk programming each morning, while driving immediate reaction from his large and engaged national audience.”

Nielsen Audio Releases Fourth Round of August 2016 PPM Data. The fourth of four rounds of August 2016 PPM ratings data from Nielsen Audio has been released for 12 markets including: Austin, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Providence, Raleigh, Norfolk, Nashville, Greensboro, West Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Memphis, and Hartford. The August 2016 survey period covered July 14 through August 10. You can find the complete 6+ ratings numbers from subscribing stations here. Additionally, TALKERS/RadioInfo managing editor Mike Kinosian provides his “Twelve Takeaways” from this group on the main page of our sister publication here.

The Presidential Race Top News/Talk Story for Week of August 29-September 2. The presidential race was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 this week was Donald Trump’s Mexico Visit tied with immigration policy. Coming in at #3 was the Tuesday primary elections and, following at #4 was Colin Kaepernick ‘National Anthem’ protest. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. View this week’s entire chart here.

Progressive Host/Commentator Bill Press Interviewed on Harrison Podcast. Multi-media, progressive talk show host and commentator Bill Press steps up to the plate as this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne program “Up Close and Far Out with Michael Harrison.” Press, a veteran of CNN’s heritage political debate show “Crossfire” and a number of other left-versus-right forums, has an extraordinary background in politics, radio, TV, newspapers and books that goes all the way back to the 1970s. Today, he still does it all, including a daily, morning political radio talk show heard on a network of approximately 50 terrestrial stations with a cable TV simulcast and boasting a huge international online listenership. Harrison and Press engage in a not-to-be-missed candid conversation about the presidential election, the state of national politics and the impact modern media is having upon the process of news dissemination. To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here or click on the “Up Close and Far Out” player box located on every page of Talkers.com and RadioInfo.com.

The Yappy Tour Rolls On. It has been a busy week of appearances on some of the biggest and best talk shows in America as author and former radio producer Bernadette Duncan promotes her sizzling new book, Yappy Days: Behind the Scenes with Newsers, Schmoozers, Boozers and Losers (AuthorHouse/Talkers Books, 2016). The book recounts Duncan’s 26-year career as a producer of radio talk shows working with such big-name talents as Larry King, Sally Jessy Raphael, Lou Dobbs, Tom Snyder, Gil Gross, Charles Osgood and many more during modern talk radio’s pre- and post-9/11 “golden era.” Plus, she tells stories about behind-the-scenes encounters with hundreds of guests from the worlds of show business, politics, media, business and literature. Duncan (l) is pictured above with talk radio icon Howie Carr (r) after being interviewed by him yesterday (9/1) in his brand new, ultra-modern, multi-media studios in Boston. Duncan’s national “Yappy Tour” will roll on through the remainder of the year. Hosts and shows interested in booking her can do so by calling Barbara Kurland at 413-565-5413.

Share this:

Andy Bloom Exits WIP-FM and WPHT, Philadelphia OM Post. This is being termed a budget-related move as programmer Andy Bloom – until Friday the operations manager for sports talk WIP-FM and news/talk WPHT – exits the CBS RADIO Philadelphia station group. There’s lots of speculation in the Philly media about why Bloom was let go and what this will mean for WIP and WPHT. Bloom tells Philly.com, “It is part of another restructure and strictly a budgetary move. That has happened across the industry over the past several years. It’s been an incredible 8 years with CBS Philly.” Philadelphia Business Journalwonders what this means for news/talk WPHT citing its November 2015 PPM (6+ AQH share Mon-Sun 6A-12M) rating of 1.5. The mag reports Bloom previously noted the current lineup has only been in place for a year and needs time to gel. Local news and opinion site Crossing Broad wonders what Bloom’s exit will mean for WIP, especially afternoon drive personality Josh Innes. Kyle Scott opines that Innes’ future at WIP could be affected by this change, “[H]e was Bloom’s guy and given a long leash with which to do his sometimes-sports thing. I’m assuming a successor will not be as lenient as Bloom. One would wonder if Josh would even want to stick around. A general turmoil has surrounded the station since he came on-board, and most of Bloom’s decisions since can be traced to Innes’ presence.”

Anthony Cumia Arrested on Domestic Battery Charges. New York radio personality Anthony Cumia was arrested on Saturday on charges of strangulation, criminal mischief, unlawful imprisonment and assault. He’s pled not guilty to all and his attorney tells the New York Post, “Mr. Cumia emphatically denies the allegations brought against him and is optimistic that when the truth comes out he will be exonerated.” This comes after a woman described as Cumia’s girlfriend used the app Periscope to request police assistance at Cumia’s Long Island home after claiming Cumia broke her hand, took her phone when she tried to call police and held her captive. The woman uses the handle Dani Golightly. Cumia was released on his own recognizance and ordered to stay away from the woman. Cumia was fired from SiriusXM’s Opie & Anthony show last year after he authored a series of racist Tweets and they went viral.

iHeartMedia Goes Sports in Denver on Former ‘Real Talk 760.’ The calls change from KKZN to KDSP and the new sports talker is branded “Denver Sports 760.” Local programming will include longtime iHeartMedia Denver personality Dave Logan co-hosting the 10:00 am to 12:00 noon program with Susie Wargin and Andy Lindahl hosting the 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm show. (Lindahl also hosts “PrimeTime Sports” on sister KOA from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.) Also airing on the station will be: Dan Patrick from 7:00 am to 10:00 am; “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm; “Jay Mohr Sports” from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm; “Ferrall On The Bench” from 9:00 pm to 12:00 midnight; Ben Maller from 12:00 midnight to 4:00 am; and “FOX Sports Daybreak with Andy Furman & Mike North from 4:00 am to 7:00 am. iHeartMedia Denver market president Tim Hager states, “We’re excited to serve our listeners, partners and advertisers with a new station featuring original Denver Broncos content and the biggest names in sports.”

California Environmental Regulations Preventing KSCO, Santa Cruz from Addressing Flooding Problem. KSCO, Santa Cruz, California station owner Michael Zwerling is in a tough situation, stuck between California environmental laws and the need to keep his station on the air with current weather conditions creating flooding problems for his transmitter. Zwerling was prevented by sheriffs from digging a trench that would allow flood waters to drain as they usually do after a citizen complained to police about potential violations of the environmental laws. A look into the law indicates Zwerling will have to try to convince officials that his station – as a facility licensed to serve the public – is worthy of protection as well. KSCO has long been recognized as one of the nation’s most community-involved as well as marketing-innovative local talkers in the nation. Zwerling says the solution does not involve harm to the beach or the marine life but activists have risen to challenge his desire to do the minor excavation necessary to abate flood waters. Hear his appeal, broadcast over the KSCO airwaves, here.

Karter Named Radio One Cincinnati OM. Inbound from iHeartMedia Chicago urban contemporary WGCI-FM, Kenard Karter will assume operations manager duties of Radio One Cincinnati. Radio One vice president of programming Colby Tyner comments, “We are excited to be working with Kenard; he is a very smart programmer with a lot of creative energy. Our team in ‘Cinci’ can’t wait to get started.” Station manager Mitch Galvin notes, “Kenard will be bringing strong leadership to our station cluster and a drive to win.” According to Karter, “I am truly humbled and excited about the opportunity to lead the Cincinnati radio brands that the Radio One family has afforded me. I am proud to join a team that is so full of passion and promise.” Prior to his WGCI-FM stint, Chicago native Karter – who begins his Cincinnati duties in three weeks (1/11) – spent four years at San Francisco urban contemporary KMEL, where he was the station’s assistant program director/mid-day talent. Radio One Cincinnati consists of urban contemporary WIZF “101.1 Cincinnati’s Hip-Hop & R&B,” urban-rhythmic oldies WOSL “Old School 100.3,” and WDBZ “Your Talk Station 1230 The Buzz.” According to 6+ stats in the latest (November 2015) Nielsen Audio PPM report for Cincinnati, WIZF ranks #8 with a 4.6 (+.7) from October and its best performance since June (also 4.6); WOSL is #13 (2.5); and WDBZ is #22 (.4). The (6+) market leader is iHeartMedia talker WLW (10.2).

Cumulus Brings New HR Exec Aboard. Human resources pro Todd C. McCarty comes to Cumulus Media from his most recent position as SVP of global human resources for Las Vegas Sands Corporation. Cumulus CEO Mary Berner says, in making the announcement of McCarty’s appointment, “Cumulus has tremendous assets with our reach to 245 million listeners across 90 markets and our outstanding audio content and brands. However, it’s critical that, as we move quickly and efficiently to build on our strengths, we retain and attract top performers on and off-air, and support and motivate them to deliver exceptional performance across all disciplines and markets. Todd stands out among his peers in terms of qualifications and experience and we are fortunate and delighted that he will be leading our effort to consolidate and centralize our key human resources disciplines into a department that has the capabilities and focus to deliver the services and solutions we need to grow our business.” McCarty has served in similar positions at The New York Times Company and The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.

Odds & Sods. The nationally syndicated Stephanie Miller show is now being aired on the CRN Digital Talk Radio network from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm ET. Miller’s show is syndicated WYM Media Managemen…..Live radio coverage of the CBS Sports Classic college hoops event from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn was provided by Westwood One Sports. Pictured here calling the games for the network are WW1 sports announcer John Sadak (right) and CBS Sports Radio personality Doug Gottlieb (left) as North Carolina beat UCLA 89-76 and Ohio State upset Kentucky 74-67. WW1 reports more than 300 affiliate stations carried the games…..Andi Poch joins CBS Local Digital Media to serve as SVP Sales. Poch is being charged with managing and executing the overall digital advertising sales strategy for the division. She’ll work closely with the local digital sales teams for CBS RADIO’s 117 stations and the 29 CBS Television stations, as well as the entire national sales group. She comes from Townsquare Media where she was SVP, integrated/digital sales and strategy…..At Townsquare Media, the company brings Susan Kravitz aboard to serve as SVP, head of national digital sales and will oversee the company’s national digital and branded entertainment sales efforts. Kravitz was most recently head of global sales at Say Media.

Entercom Offers New Employee Benefits. Beginning in 2016, Entercom Communications Corp. will begin offering qualified employees three significant new additions to the benefit plan designed to further enhance the quality of life for its staffers. They are: 1) Personal Volunteering Time – a half-day off each quarter to volunteer for a non-profit organization of their choosing; 2) Discounted Stock Purchase Program – Entercom employees will be able to purchase Entercom stock at a 15% discount through a payroll deduction plan; and 3) Student Loan Reimbursement Program – $1,000 per calendar year to reduce outstanding student loans for employees who have graduated within the past eight years. Company CEO David Field states, “We are always looking for ways to improve ourselves and make Entercom a better and stronger organization, and that includes enhancing the quality of life for our team. We have examined benefits programs from leading companies all across the country in a wide range of industries and have honed in on a few highly compelling programs that we think will make outstanding additions to life at Entercom. We are very excited to be delivering these new benefits to our people.”

Making Merry in Vegas. Pictured here enjoying the festivities over the weekend at the Beasley Media Group Las Vegas holiday party are (from left to right): director of sales Cory Cuddeback; market manager Tom Humm; news/talk KDWN program director John Shaffer; and nationally syndicated talk host Dr. Daliah Wachs.

Democratic Primary Debate, Star Wars Film Opens and Miss Universe SNAFU Among Top Weekend News/Talk Stories. The coverage of and the aftermath of Saturday night’s Democratic candidates’ debate; the record-breaking opening weekend of the new Star Wars film; and Steve Harvey’s mistake misidentifying the winner of the Miss Universe pageant, were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend on stations airing live talk shows.

Share this:

Dan LeBatard Show Front-Runner to Fill Cowherd Slot on ESPN Radio. There’s been no official announcement from ESPN but TALKERS sources report that the Dan LeBatard show – which currently airs in the 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm daypart on ESPN Radio – will move to the 10:00 am to 12:00 noon slot sometime in September. That late morning slot opened up after Colin Cowherd accepted an offer from FOX Sports to join its operations. TALKERS sources also says that Bomani Jones, host of the 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm “Right Time with Bomani Jones” program on the network, will move into the afternoon daypart. Jones is also a co-host of Dan LeBatard’s “Highly Questionable with Dan LeBatard” show that airs on ESPN TV.

Entercom Drops FM Simulcast of WAXY, Miami for Alt Rock. The sports talk simulcast of WAXY-AM/FM, was acquired from Lincoln Financial Media and now, Entercom unveils its plans for the FM as it launches the market’s only alternative rock outlet, “104.3 The Shark.” The company says that it has complete faith in WAXY-AM’s ability to dominate the AM band. Vice president and market manager Doug Abernethy says, “‘790 The Ticket’ is the flagship station for South Florida sports and is the home of the Miami Heat. ‘790 The Ticket’ delivers the best in local content, personalities and events. We are making a huge investment in more content featuring the biggest names in sports in South Florida.”

Mike North to Host Bears Football Post-Game Show on Classic Hits WDRV, Chicago. As reported by Chicago media writer Robert Feder, former longtime Windy City sports talk personality Mike North is hosting a three-hour Chicago Bears post-game program on Hubbard Radio’s classic hits WDRV. As Feder points out, this will be the fifth Bears post-game show to air simultaneously in the market (including the one on play-by-play flagship WBBM-AM and WCFS-FM). North will continue to co-host the daily morning show “FOX Sports Daybreak” with Andy Furman on the FOX Sports Radio Network. Read Feder’s story here.

Nielsen’s Latest ‘State of the Media: Audio Today’ Focuses on Medium and Small Markets; 86% of Consumers Spend More Than 15 Hours with Radio. In the latest “State of the Media: Audio Today” report from Nielsen, the ratings giant digs into data from the 215 markets in which it employs the diary survey method. Reporting that there are “35 million qualified consumers” (more than 60% of which are between the ages of 18 and 54) being reached by radio in medium and small markets, Nielsen looks at listening by generation, among other things. Regarding Millennials, Nielsen says 86.5% of that generation is reached by radio and averages 12 hours and 30 minutes of weekly listening. Forty-four percent of Millennials work full time, their most-listened-to daypart is afternoon drive and their favorite format is country. When it comes to Gen Xers, AM drive is the most-listened-to daypart, the favorite format is country but reach and listening time go up to 89.9% and 16 hours, respectively. Listening time goes up even further for Boomers – to 16 hours and 30 minutes per week – but reach dips to 86.8%. Boomers listen most in middays and the most-listened-to format is news/talk. When it comes to total listening in medium and small markets, the top formats are: 1) country, 2) news/talk, 3) CHR, 4) adult contemporary, 5) classic rock, and 6) classic hits. Download the whole Nielsen report here.

KMOX Talker’s Speeding Ticket Broke Missouri Constitution. Albeit three years after the fact, a 2012 speeding ticket issued to KMOX, St. Louis 8:30 am – 11:00 am co-host Charlie Brennan has been ruled by the Missouri Supreme Court to be in violation of the state’s constitution. Brennan received a ticket after his car was caught on camera going 11 MPH over the speed limit in Moline Acres on Missouri Highway 367. Brennan tells TALKERS, “I challenged the ticket and won in two lower courts as well.” Owing to this case, Brennan comments, “Most cities in Missouri will be taking down their speeding cameras if they haven’t done so already.” Brennan’s lawsuit challenged whether the municipal ordinance can turn moving violations into a civil matter that does not result in points against a driver’s license. As reported by Leah Thorsen in The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Moline Acres mayor Michele DeShay says speed cameras “are no longer in place but there was a possibility they could return, depending on how the court ruled.” A plan to put a measure on next August’s ballot to ban red-light cameras across the state did not pass in this year’s legislative session. Brennan’s morning co-host is Debbie Monterrey; he has been part of the KMOX late morning show since 1990.

Cumulus and IMG Partner for University of Oregon Sports Broadcasts. This is a renewal of the play-by-play rights agreement that KUGN, Eugene has had for the past 20 years. The new pact with IMG is a multi-year one that gives Cumulus Media exclusive radio broadcast rights for University of Oregon sports in the Eugene/Springfield market. Games and related programming will air on news/talk KUGN, sports talk KUJZ “95.3 The Score,” and classic rock KZEL. Cumulus Eugene operations manager Al Scott says, “University of Oregon Sports broadcasts are a tradition here at Cumulus Eugene. Our entire team is incredibly proud of our partnership with the University of Oregon Ducks. We all look forward to broadcasting the U of O sports features and games. The Oregon Duck games are as exciting for all of us here in the building as they are for our listeners.”

Jim Jorgensen Returns to Radio to Talk Taxes. Renowned financial talker Jim Jorgensen – hearing during his career on WOR, New York; ABC Radio; and in national syndication – is talking to listeners about retirement and taxes. This is the same content he’s written about in his new book, Retire Tax Free. Jorgensen is a radio pro who knows how to talk to listeners. He says, “You’ll collect a Social Security check based on income in retirement…Warren Buffett won’t get a check…will YOU?” Book Jim for a segment on your show by calling 800-701-7283 or click here.

RadioInfluence.com Relaunches. New owners Jason Floyd and Jerry Petuck say they are relaunching RadioInfluence.com with “a renewed mission statement and a renewed dedication to serving…the listeners. The service creates streaming audio programs and provides the show in podcast form to Stitcher and TuneIn. New shows will include Nanci Donnellan, a.k.a. The Fabulous Sports Babe, MLB Network personality Rich Herrera, and a number of shows dedicated to wrestling and mixed martial arts.

Odds & Sods. GABNet is now a channel on Roku. The channel initially will feature a 24/7 feed of Alex Bennett‘s “Great American Broadcast Network,” along with its live shows. According to Bennett, “This is a great opportunity for us to get our original form of talk programming to the ten million homes using the Roku device.” Bennett utilizes “citizen panels,” where callers join in a group discussion. In addition, there will be show archives of each personality – Bennett, Jim Browning, Miranda Janell, and Damion Chaplin. Also featured is Bennett’s audio-biography “Life in the Passing Lane”; a weekly video of “Bennett’s Ramble”; and Michael Snyder‘s movie reviews. GABNet can be found under “New,” and “Comedy” in Roku’s search engine…..The 11th annual ESPN New York 98.7 FM Tee it Up Golf Classic was held at Knollwood Country Club in Westchester on Tuesday (8/18). Listeners from the Tri-State area were able to “fill their foursome” at the event by winning on-air contests throughout various shows on 98.7FM or entering at local PGA Tour SuperStore locations. Pictured here at the event are (from l-r): ESPN New York 98.7 FM’s Michael Kay, and ESPN personalities Ryan Ruocco, Robin Lundberg and Dave Rothenberg.….A new podcast launches on BlogTalkRadio called “Girls in Heels” and featuring Cooper Lawrence and “Real Housewives” Nicole Napolitano and Teresa Aprea.

KOMO, Seattle Anchor Jane Shannon Dies Unexpectedly. At this time there is no cause of death or even an age being reported for Seattle news radio pro Jane Shannon, and the KOMO, Seattle website simply writes that she “passed away unexpectedly this week.” The story goes on to say: Shannon was not only an award-winning broadcast journalist, but a mother, a master gardener, and someone who loved making just the right gourmet dish for dinner guests. An Oregon native, Shannon started her radio career at KITI in Centralia, where she was an anchor and the news director. Before coming to KOMO News Radio in 2010, Shannon worked at KXXO-FM in Olympia, KING-AM in Seattle, and was a morning news co-host at KIRO. Former KOMO News Radio program director Paul Duckworth called Shannon an outstanding talent and a dear friend. “When I met her the first time in the radio station, she was everything I thought she would be. She was smart. She was always looking for stories that made people feel things.” Shannon is survived by two sons.

Trump Immigration Plan Top News/Talk Story of the Week. The plan to address America’s immigration policy by GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump was the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio during the week, landing atop the Talkers TenTM. At #2 was the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server. Coming in at #3 was the activities of the rest of the 2016 presidential candidates followed by the Black Lives Matter movement and the recent police shooting in St. Louis at #4. The Talkers TenTM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio during the week and is the result of ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. View this week’s entire chart here.

Share this:

KFI, Los Angeles Cancels Meeting with Immigrant Rights Group.Clear Channel Los Angeles market manager Greg Ashlock tells the Los Angeles Times he canceled a meeting with heads of regional immigrants’ rights advocacy groups because their request to meet became an ultimatum that John & Ken be fired. The groups became upset after KFI PM drive hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou gave the cell phone number of activist Jorge-Mario Cabrera over the air telling listeners to let him know how they feel about his support for California legislation called ‘The Dream Act’ that would provide educational financial assistance to illegal aliens. Cabrera says he received more than 400 phone calls – some very angry and filled with foul language. KFI management had initially agreed to meet with activist leader to discuss the issue but Ashlock tells the Times, “I’m more than happy to sit down with anybody who has a concern and talk it out but we’re not going to be held hostage to demands that are outlandish.” Leaders of the groups say they will boycott the John & Ken show.

Bonneville’s KTAR-FM, Phoenix to Debut New Local Show. Yesterday we told you Premiere’s Glenn Beck was joining the lineup at Clear Channel’s crosstown KFYI. That’s because he’s leaving KTAR-FM and Bonneville responds by getting back to “its old roots” with an “all-local-news daytime focus.” The Karie & Chuck show hits the air later this month in the 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm slot featuring 20-year KTAR staffer Karie Dozer and market sports talk personality Chuck Powell. Powell and on-air partner Vince Marotta have been hosting the AM drive show at Sandusky’s sports KDUS since January. Powell, Marotta and sales pro Lee Rosenthal formedGOAT Media Group to create, produce and sell the program to the station. Powell is wrapping up that deal before joining KTAR-FM. Bonneville Phoenix VP for news and sports content Ryan Hatch says of the new show, “The chemistry between Karie and Chuck is off the charts. They are two distinct, smart and fun personalities who bring unique perspectives from their life experiences. This show will connect emotionally and intellectually with our audience in a meaningful, relatable way.” The new program is described as being “built around conversations on current events and the biggest news stories of the day. It features local and national news stories, political issues, pop culture and entertainment along with regular interviews with newsmakers.”

Willy Daunic Exits Cumulus’ WGFX-FM, Nashville.Willy Daunic worked alongside longtime WGFX-FM PM drive host George Plaster since 2003 on “The Sports Zone” program. Now, just a month after Plaster left the station, Daunic fails to come to contract terms on a renewal of his deal that expired August 31 and he exits. The Tennessean reports Daunic says of his exit, “My time at 104.5 The Zone was the best eight years of my radio career. The success that we’ve had and the fun that we’ve had is something I’ll always cherish. Starting the show from scratch and seeing it build into what it is today was tremendously rewarding.”

Premiere Networks to Distribute DIRECTV’s “Nick and Artie Show.” The sports/comedy program featuring comic personalities Artie Lange and Nick DiPaolo, being produced by DIRECTV and currently being streamed on the web is being offered to radio stations via Premiere Networks. DIRECTV says a video simulcast of the program will be added to its Audience Network “next year.” The program was developed over the summer with Lange and DiPaolo doing some sub work for the Tony Bruno show on Fox Sports Radio. However, the program is not airing on Fox Sports Radio Network. FSRN filled Tony Bruno’s old 10:00 pm to 1:00 am slot with “Fox Sports Tonight” hosted by Mike North and Lincoln Kennedy. The “Nick and Artie Show” also airs live in the 10:00 pm to 1:00 am time slot.

NRG Omaha Adds Two Veteran AEs to its Sales Team.NRG Media general sales manager Heather Gossett announces Omaha market sales pros Vickie Majorek and Kim Earl join the sales staff at its seven-station cluster that includes news/talk KKAR and sports KOZN. Gossett states, “Vickie’s and Kim’s passion and love for radio makes them the problem solvers for clients in the Omaha Metro Area. They never fail to make a difference in the life of a client and their business. They strive to provide results in all that they do…it’s truly what makes the difference at NRG Media in Omaha.”

Obama Jobs Bill/Economic Policy Top News/Talk Story for Week of October 3-7.President Obama’s jobs bill and his administration’s economic policy was the topic that landed at the top of the Talkers TenTM this week. According to ongoing research from TALKERS, the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ protests were the #2 story of the week. The 2012 presidential race was #3 and coming in at #4 was the European economic jitters and the strike and violence in Greece. The Talkers TenTM is published weekly at Talkers.com. To view the week’s entire chart, click on the banner below.

Share this:

How Is Talk Radio Handling the 9/11 Anniversary? The 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2011 is Sunday and – indicative of the important role those attacks and their aftermath have played in the programming of American news/talk stations over the past decade – many of these stations are treating this Sunday as if it were a weekday, with their top talent broadcasting live and special programming pre-empting the usual Sunday schedule. Read on as talk radio programmers, content providers and talent express what this tragedy means to, not only the broadcast outlets, but to talk media’s P1’s and the genre’s practitioners. More here.

Talk Media Mega-Star Sean Hannity Celebrates 10 Years in National Syndication. Hannity began his foray into national syndication the day before September 11, 2001 and he went on to become an extremely important media figure broadcasting to a newly expanded audience in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks that would consume the American consciousness in the weeks and months that followed. Initially syndicated via the old ABC Radio Networks and now by Premiere Networks, 10 years later Hannity’s show is heard on more than 500 stations across the country by more than 14 million listeners each week, according to the most recent ratings research from TALKERS (see that data here.). In a statement, Sean Hannity says, “After 10 years in syndication and nearly 25 years on air, my love for radio continues to grow. I’m grateful to be working with some of the best people in the business — from my staff, to affiliates, to my radio partners and sponsors; I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together. Thank you to the listeners and fans who join me on this radio journey each day and help make this one of the best jobs in the world.”

Fox Sports Radio’s Pat O’Brien Featured in 9/11 TV Documentary. The program is titled “The Love We Make” and airs tomorrow (9/10) at 9:00 pm ET on Showtime. It is a collaboration between Paul McCartney and filmmaker Albert Maysles. Maysles followed McCartney around New York a month after the horrific attacks on the city, and Pat O’Brien interviews McCartney as part of the documentary. McCartney was on a plane on the tarmac at LaGuardia preparing to take off when the first plane hit the World Trade Center. O’Brien is co-host of FSR’s midday program “Loose Cannons” alongside Steve Hartman and Vic “The Brick” Jacobs.

WAXY, Miami Host Dan LeBatard’s TV Show Set at ESPN2. The half-hour TV show that has been in development titled, “Dan LeBatard Is Highly Questionable,” finds its home from 4:00 to 4:30 pm ET on ESPN2 beginning Monday (9/12). The development of a TV show for LeBatard – who is a regular fill-in host on ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” – was announced earlier this summer. According to ESPN VP of production Marcia Keegan, LeBatard’s 72-year-old father Gonzalo LeBatard will also be part of the program. She states, “Given the popularity of our afternoon lineup of discussion and debate shows, we know that our audience is drawn to accessible and engaging personalities so we expect Dan’s smart-yet-irreverent take on sports combined with the often diverting and occasionally thoroughly pointless interaction with his father to make for an oddly compelling program. If nothing else, don’t say we never take chances.” In addition to his radio and TV work, Le Batard is a columnist for the Miami Herald.

Tony Bruno Exits FSR; Mike North and Rob Dibble to Fill In. Sports talk host Tony Bruno is leaving his “Into the Night” nationally syndicated sports talk show produced by DirectTV and airing on Fox Sports Radio Network to return to the air at Greater Media’s WPEN-AM/FM, Philadelphia in middays. Filling in that shift on the network are Chicago-based sports talker Mike North and former Cincinnati Reds “nasty boy” Rob Dibble for the show “FSR Evenings” airing from 10:00 pm to 1:00 am ET. North has been hosting a weekend show for FSR and Dibble has worked for ESPN and the Washington Nationals on the TV side.

WTKK-FM, Boston’s Doug Meehan Begins Segment Honoring First Responders. Doug Meehan is debuting a new weekly segment on Greater Media’s WTKK-FM, Boston called “First Responder Friday” that acknowledges the efforts of first responders in New England. This segment – airing its debut at a time when first responders involved (and in too many cases killed) in the 9/11 attacks are being honored – according to the station “is a way of saying ‘thank you’ to the firefighters, police officers and emergency medical responders who make the necessary sacrifices to put other’s needs above their own.” Meehan states, “I feel this is a unique opportunity to recognize those in our community who often go unrecognized for their service to the community on a daily basis.” The first recipient of the First Responders Award will be today on Meehan’s program. Then beginning October 7, Meehan’s show will honor an individual or group of first responders in the region. Nominations are accepted by their community or chosen based on an event that affected the lives of individuals.

ESPN Combines TV Simulcasts of Radio Shows. ESPN moves the “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” and “The Scott Van Pelt Show” from The U and ESPN2 respectively to its ESPNews where they’ll air back-to-back from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

President Obama’s Jobs Speech Most-Talked-About Topic on News/Talk Radio for Week of September 5-9. President Obama’s much-anticipated speech to a joint session of Congress and the nation was #1 on the Talkers Ten™ chart of the top talk topics this week. At #2 was Wednesday’s GOP candidate’s debate and the 2012 presidential election. Following at #3 was financial markets activity and severe weather across the nation and its financial implications came in at #4. The Talkers Ten™ is published every Friday at Talkers.com. View all 10 topics and the 10 most-talked-about people by clicking the banner below.